Microsoft looks to fight OpenOffice

We know Microsoft is worried about Google Docs and is fighting against its expansion. Google Docs threatens one of Microsoft’s biggest cash cows – Office – and is, unlike Office, free for consumers.

But Microsoft apparently is also worried about OpenOffice, the popular free, open-source productivity software developed by Sun Microsystems.

At least, that’s what we can ascertain from a Microsoft job posting (screenshot) that looks for a “compete lead” against OpenOffice and Linux. The posting says Microsoft is looking for someone to, in part, “build and manage the activities of a v-team of 13 district Linux & OpenOffice Compete Leads, and develop a broad set of marketing skills.”

Microsoft declined to comment for this article.

According to the exo.performance.network, which compiles data from 21,000 Windows computers, OpenOffice has about 12 percent of the market share. Meanwhile, Office 2007 has about 27 percent and Office 2003 has about 23 percent, according to exo.

According to OpenOffice.org, the software has been downloaded 100 million times since the release of version 3.0. And IBM distributes a version of OpenOffice as Lotus Symphony in Lotus Notes.

So, 12 percent? That’s a sizable chunk of the market. And there’s no doubt Microsoft would love to capture some of that.

How does Microsoft hope to do it? According to the job posting, the company is looking for someone with the “ability to implement programmatic marketing that will CHANGE THE WAY PEOPLE think about Microsoft, specifically those with a ‘hostile’ or negative perception of the Microsoft platform.”